In the United States alone, it is estimated that over 2 million people suffer from schizophrenia. Because of its very nature, this disorder is difficult to study. Pharmacological treatment is a particularly effective intervention in schizophrenia but is not a cure for all patients. Experimental and clinical findings have indicated that schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder with biochemical, psychophysiological, psychological and genetic components. Patients are not psychotic constantly and their clinical state may change, regardless of medication conditions. However, we are now able to study a schizophrenic patient population intensively and longitudinally, with and without pharmacological approahces during different clinical states. We are beginning to ask fundamental questions about the nature of schizophrenia, indications for pharmacological treatment, vulnerability to psychotic decompensation and the role that genetics may play in the transmission of the disorder. Our work integrates the multidisciplinary approaches in an effort to understand this complex disorder which may lead to a more effective treatment.